Masada 1981

Overview

Masada is a 1981 American historical drama television miniseries that aired on the ABC network as part of the ABC Novel for Television programming block. The production features a screenplay written by Joel Oliansky, which is based on the 1971 novel titled The Antagonists by author Ernest Gann. The narrative provides a dramatization of the historical siege of the Masada citadel located in Roman Palestine. This military engagement involved the legions of the Roman Empire during the year AD 73. The story focuses on the conflict between the Roman forces and the Jewish defenders who occupied the fortress. The siege reached its conclusion when the Roman armies finally entered the citadel. Upon gaining access to the stronghold, the soldiers discovered that the Jewish defenders had committed mass suicide as their defeat became imminent. The miniseries serves as a historical account of these events, detailing the actions of the opposing forces during this period of Roman history.